Chicago meeting: Reproductive Justice Under Attack

Dishonestly edited videos accusing Planned Parenthood of illegally selling aborted fetal organs for profit have now become fodder for mostly Republican politicians—including those running for president…..

Presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul all vowed to destroy Planned Parenthood; Mike Huckabee said he would consider sending federal troops or the FBI to stop abortions; Rick Perry said Planned Parenthood “cuts apart and sells the body parts of dead babies”—every word of which is a lie, including “and” and “the.”

…Women, especially poor women, have already been severely impacted by an avalanche of laws that effectively strip them of being able to obtain what is a legal medical procedure. The Republican vow to defund Planned Parenthood would mean $500 million cut from two programs aimed at helping poor people: 75% from Medicaid; and the rest from Title X—the federal family planning program that serves poor Americans.

…Demagogic politicians claim they are defending women’s health when they are attacking it. For women to obtain reproductive justice, we must be in charge of our own healthcare and not depend on any politician to do it for us. That would mean a fundamental transformation of this society.